IMPERMANENCE

chapter twenty seven - the tavern

When Dagger and Alessia had found their way back to the clearing from the smoke that blurred above the treetops, Ivan had already successfully started another fire without their help. They had completely forgotten about gathering wood. The rest of the group had grown visibly impatient due to the abnormal amount of time it took them to gather a largely sized hare from the woods.

Naomi remained posted on her log and hadn't shown any signs of moving. She was the first to notice their arrival.

"Well, it's about gods damned time you two decided to return," Naomi bellowed impatiently. Her yell caused the rest of the group to stop packing up the tents. Alessia tossed the dead bird at Naomi, she caught it, then dropped it with a shriek. It flopped down onto the ground as if she had caught a steaming hot potato.

"What the hell is this?" Naomi asked all too calmly.

"Breakfast. What else would it be?"

Naomi shot her a grimacing look. "Is this another pathetic attempt of yours at reconciliation?"

"Personally, I'm dying to know what happened between the two of you," Dagger said, slumping down on a log adjacent to Naomi. He tossed the large hare that they had caught right over to Lennox to begin preparing. Naomi crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him.

"Save yourself the frustration, they've never gotten along," Ivan grunted as he tossed a few extra pieces of wood into the burning fire. Lennox and Zane tackled breakfast preparations by skinning both of the animals in a spot where Naomi couldn't see in order to avoid another one of her outbursts. Alessia and Thea sank into logs across from each other and over the flaming pit.

"It's more than that, Ivan. And you know it," Naomi snapped at him.

"Why did we invite her again?" Thea asked, her head bent up towards the sky.

"I didn't realize a childhood rivalry was an excuse to plot your cousin's death," Ivan shot right back at her. "We could've had you thrown in the dungeons long ago."

"Why haven't we, just out of curiosity?" Lennox called out from behind Naomi.

"Because she's all talk. That's all she ever does," Alessia added as she took a gulp of water out of her canteen. Dagger shook his head at the complicated situation. Nothing could ever be easy with this group, he reckoned.

"Oh, you conniving little bit-"

Dagger quickly attempted to change the subject and cut Naomi off. "There's a tavern right along the border with overnight housing," Dagger informed the group. Lennox and Zane faltered over to heat up breakfast over the fire. Ivan had assembled a hanging pot over the firepit to roast both portions of meat.

"Can we expect the tavern to be secure?" Thea asked him.

Dagger nodded. "I've seen Kintuins and Guntherans congregate there together many times. Though it may be of service to not mention who you are," Dagger said with a look to both Ivan and Alessia. The rest of the group seemed to mutually agree.

"So you'll trust the Guntheran assassin, but not me? Need I remind you that he's the one who actually managed to harm precious Alessia, not me!" Naomi scoffed as she picked and nibbled at her roasted bird. She obnoxiously spat out a bone onto the ground.

"If Alessia's downfall is truly what you want, then you'll allow it to prevail at the Emperor's palace as opposed to orchestrating it yourself," Dagger said to Naomi. He didn't care who was listening, though he almost regretted the words the second they came out.

"I love how open we've all become with each other," Lennox beamed after gulping down another chunk of the hare. Alessia and her guards hurriedly finished up their breakfast, wanting to get a move on. Ivan was the last to leave the sitting area to double-check inventory in his pack.